Carry your own cross, heads of National Assembly committees tell Ababu Namwamba

Kenya: A dark cloud hanging over the integrity of the National Assembly is getting thicker by the day with the leadership of various House committees reacting angrily to comments by besieged Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman Ababu Namwamba.

Last week, Mr Namwamba appeared keen to turn round the narrative of the probe, pointing fingers at the committees and questioning Speaker Justin Muturi's actions in the aftermath of the graft allegations against PAC members.

His comments have put him at loggerheads with the leadership of various committees who have warned the PAC chairman against what they claim is "an attempt to pull down others with him."

"Let him not attempt to drag others into his woes... For someone to purport to point fingers at others who are innocent is tantamount to fishing in a lake that has no fish," said chair of the House Justice and Legal Affairs Committee Samuel Chepkonga (Ainabkoi).

Chairman of the Lands committee Alex Mwiru (Tharaka) wondered why Namwamba was pushing other members down the gallows, yet it is his committee that is in the cross-hairs of the Powers and Privileges Committee.

"Let everyone carry his own cross. If his committee is embroiled in accusations, let the chairman not engage in a smear campaign," said Mwiru.

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Graft allegations against House committees are not new, but Namwamba's latest sentiments appear to have upset his colleagues, who argue that he is using unorthodox means to wriggle out of his current predicament.

Mwiru is himself a survivor of a no-confidence motion to remove him from the helm of his committee after members accused him of shielding Lands Cabinet Secretary Charity Ngilu from appearing before the committee over the Karen land saga.

There were light moments when Namwamba last week appeared before the Powers and Privileges Committee chaired by Moses Cheboi (Kuresoi) with some committee members telling him to read Psalms 23: 4.

"Though I walk in the valley of death, I shall fear no evil," reads the verse which was recommended to Namwamba by Joyce Emanikor (Turkana).

But it is Namwamba's comment that Speaker Justin Muturi should cast the net wider that has rubbed his colleagues the wrong way, even before the committee completes its investigations. He insists he is innocent and that he not on trial before the committee.

Other than the chair of the Lands committee, another chair who has survived a no-confidence motion during the life of the current Parliament is the chair of the Administration and National Security committee Asman Kamama (Tiaty).

Kamama was not available for comment yesterday but Vice-Chair Alois Lentoimaga (Samburu North) argued that Namwamba should have resigned immediately it became clear that his fellow committee members were determined to kick him out.

Chairman of the Agriculture committee Mohammed Noor (Mandera North), whose committee is fighting off allegations that some of its members received Sh60 million to doctor a report on the Mumias Sugar woes claimed that it was impractical to investigate on-goings in all House committees.

"How do you investigate 580 members who make up the 27 committees? These are diversionary tactics. Personally, I have no fear of my committee being investigated. My committee is as clean as cotton. Let anyone with evidence to the contrary table it," said Noor.

When contacted for comment, the Chair of the Public investment Committee of Adan Keynan (Eldas) said he was in a meeting. He promised to call back, but did not.

Chair of Transport Committee Maina Kamanda (Starehe) said he will wait for the committee to prepare it report before he can comment.

The sentiments by committee leadership came even as it emerged that attempts to remove Namwamba as Chair of PAC had been in the pipeline for months before PAC members finally executed the scheme.

The House Powers and Privileges committee is expected to complete its investigations before coming up with a report that will either indict Namwamba or let him off the hook.

However, the final decision on Namwamba's fate will be made on the floor of the House upon members debating the report.